Government is not responsible to Parliament : NC

Kathmandu, Jan 9 : Chief whip of the Nepali Congress, the main opposition party in parliament, Bal Krishna Khand has demanded that the government be responsible to the parliament.

The NC chief whip said this while speaking in the meeting of the House of Representatives today. Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara had allocated time to Khand to speak after the NC lawmakers stood up from their seats at the outset of the meeting.

Khand reminded of the provision in the House of Representatives Regulations which states that the MPs, after taking time from the Speaker, could ask questions to the Prime Minister or the government ministers after the latter give statement of public importance in the parliament.

He complained that the NC lawmakers were not allocated time to speak in the parliament meeting on January 6 even when they sought time for the same, saying the government was not becoming answerable to the parliament.

The main opposition party chief whip said, “Why do not the Prime Minister and ministers respond to the lawmakers’ questions. We ask questions on behalf the Nepalis people. We have serious objection to the government’s this attitude. We urge the Speaker to protect the lawmakers’ right to question the government.

He drew the attention of the parliament that the main opposition would obstruct the House proceedings if the Prime Minister and the ministers do not answer the lawmakers’ questions.

Speaker Mahara said his serious attention was drawn to Khand’s statement and ruled that the ministers should response to lawmakers after making statement of public importance in parliament.

Immediately after this Speaker Mahara gave time to Rastriya Janata Party Nepal chief whip Laxman Lal Karna to speak after the RJPN lawmakers stood from their seats in protest.

Karna said that incidents of human rights violation had occurred in course of the movements waged in the Tarai Madhes and an investigation committee had also been formed under the coordination of the former judge at the Supreme Court, Girish Chandra Lal, for investigating into this matter.

He complained that the report of this committee prepared after collecting and scrutinizing 3,264 complaints and which had also been submitted to the government was not yet made public. He objected to the report not been made public by the government.

The RJPN chief whip drew the attention of the government, through the Speaker, to make the report public as soon as possible. Speaker Mahara drew the government’s special attention over this issue. (RSS)